It is time.
For the Rockets to finally stand up to James Harden.
For Houston’s NBA team to do what is best for the Rockets, not keep rewarding a me-first scorer and passive-aggressive leader who has always fallen short when it truly mattered.
Where does Harden, one of the league’s most electric athletes, go from here?
Where do the Rockets — new head coach, first-time general manager, in official turmoil — go from here?
As of Monday morning, no one knows.
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But Harden wants to move on from the Rockets, the Chronicle has been informed, and is trying to force his way via trade to Brooklyn, allowing The Beard to form the NBA’s next superteam and rejoin forces with former Oklahoma City teammate Kevin Durant.
ESPN first reported Harden’s interest in Brooklyn.
In a league more defined than ever by AAU-like team-ups and the haves and have-nots, it’s understandable that a former NBA MVP only missing one huge thing from his career trophy case wants to increase his immediate championship chances by improving the roster that surrounds him. Kyrie Irving, Durant and whatever is left of the Nets would be a clear upgrade over the aging and overpriced Rockets, who’ve spent the last two seasons going backward. But Harden’s desire to change teams is now interwoven with Russell Westbrook’s insistence upon a new situation, and it was Harden who demanded that the Rockets pair him with Westbrook last July.
The last time the Rockets listened to and trusted Harden with a franchise-altering decision: Chris Paul was traded, Westbrook — who doesn’t want to play Harden’s brand of basketball in Houston anymore — was acquired, Mike D’Antoni eventually walked away (to the Nets) and Daryl Morey chose the Philadelphia 76ers’ stalled process over the Rockets’ championship potential.
The Rockets have increasingly catered to and given in to everything Harden since 2012. The chaotic culture and lack of accountability that have led to this dividing point within the franchise largely bear Harden’s imprint.
Oh yeah: One more thing. Harden is under contract through 2022 and has perfected the act of random disappearances in the playoffs since ’15.
In an ideal world, Westbrook is traded and Harden remains, with the Rockets re-establishing their bond with one of the best players in team history. But trading Westbrook isn’t as easy as it sounds and if Harden can’t be convinced to stay in Houston, the Rockets are better off leaping into a new era during a season that will again be impacted by near-empty arenas and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
As great as Harden can be with the ball in hand, he’s a long way away from being LeBron James and holding The King’s power.
Heck, Harden hasn’t even reached the NBA Finals since leaving OKC and has clashed with superstar pairings (Dwight Howard, Paul, Westbrook) on a near-annual schedule.
So why in the world would the Rockets listen to Harden’s personal trade demands right now?
And if a deal is ultimately greenlighted, the Rockets must get back as much as possible — a young star with a growing game, first-round draft picks — instead of sending their franchise face to Brooklyn for second-tier faces, just to keep Harden happy again.
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Harden has spent the last six seasons as one of the league’s premier superstars. He’s also 31 years old, makes way too much money to get bounced out of the second round of the playoffs in three of the last four seasons, and will eventually begin to decline on the same hardwood that made his international name.
Entering his 12th season, he’s suddenly trying to take the Durant route: Join a better team and win a world championship, immediately silencing all the critics and haters.
Technically, there’s nothing wrong with that in the modern NBA. After a protracted and at times nasty battle, Anthony Davis forced his way out of small-market New Orleans and won a title with James in just one season with the remade Los Angeles Lakers.
But Durant was a free agent when he celebrated July 4th by joining Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Steve Kerr and the already-great Golden State Warriors.
Davis had The King’s help pulling on the big strings that shake The Association.
After years of insisting his Rockets could win a championship — with Paul, with Westbrook, with small ball and endless 3-pointers — Harden is on the verge of giving up on the Rockets and trying to individually dictate their future.
“We bringing it back to H-Town,” said Harden, before the recent playoffs began in the NBA’s Florida bubble. “We’ve come up short these last few years but this is another opportunity for us to fight for it.”
Less than four months later, that focus and pride no longer sound the same. It’s more like: Trade me. Now. Just let me run the court with KD again. Please.
If Harden wants it that way, fine. The 2020-21 Rockets are better off moving on, starting over with a young star and finally realizing that they were never going to win a shining trophy with Harden as their leader.
But it’s on the Rockets to win the blockbuster.
It’s their team, not Harden’s.
And if Harden doesn’t care about the Rockets’ future anymore, why in the world should they keep catering to him?
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